Welcome to my park bench from which we can notice and discuss the traces and signs of God's presence and activity in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Have a seat. Relax and take a look around. Something big is happening, and you are invited to participate.

Monday, June 19, 2006

"Alternative Presbyterian Churches"

I just finished a lengthy phone call with an anonymous telephone caller whose first question to me was whether Central Presbyterian Church was a PCUSA church. I proudly told her "Yes."

She told me that she almost threw up her lunch when she heard Fox News tell her that "alternative Presbyterian churches" are thinking about gender inclusive language for worship which is not just Father Son and Holy Spirit, and want to use other names for God such as "mother", "child", and "lover" - which she sees as atrocities. My understanding is that the Trinity report talks about these terms as metaphors rather than names. Am I incorrect?

And I still don't get what is so atrocious about acknowledging that God loves us.

I had a hard time pinning her down about what exactly was the source of her information. She rambled on and on incoherently, but I am guessing that she might have heard a propaganda piece about the Trinity report coming to the GA.

For some reason connected to the PCUSA in her mind, she brought up the recent election of a female archbishop by the Episcopal Church, and asked if I knew about it. I told her, "Yes, I heard about that. Wasn't it great?"

She was shocked at my response and told me I should start wearing a skirt.

She was absolutely positive that the Spirit is male. I asked her where she got that. She claimed that she had read the Bible in all the languages. I asked her about Greek. She had no clue that the word for spirit in Greek was neuter. I asked her about Hebrew. She had no clue that the word for spirit in Hebrew was feminine. Why was she positive that the Spirit was male? Simply because she believed that God is male.

In the course of the phone call I advised her not to be eating her lunch while she listens to Fox "News".